Author: Steven M. Elinson

“You can’t innovate around the core.” This has become a common topic of conversation with travel and hospitality companies that are saddled with legacy systems and platforms that are 30 years old or older. I spoke to this issue recently at the Skift Global Forum, where we shared survey data that found that 36 percent […]

The concept of digital transformation has been around for quite some time, having achieved buzzword status in most corporate circles. In the hospitality and travel industry, executives have been talking about it for nearly 10 years, but many are still trying to understand what it really means. One thing I have learned by working with […]

A highlight of my chosen profession is the opportunity to exchange experiences, perspectives, observations, and ideas with colleagues who are equally as passionate about the restaurant and food service industry. One such recent opportunity saw me join Joe Jensen, Vice President of the Internet of Things (IoT) Group and General Manager of Retail, Banking, Hospitality, […]

Massimo, SriHari, and Steven were fortunate to join 20,000+ in-person attendees and more than 600,000 virtual participants at this year’s annual AWS innovation conference – re:Invent 2021. Customers and partners alike shared the overwhelming feeling of conducting business in-person again. Ian-Michael Farkas of Local Measure stated, “Making connections in-person has accelerated my ability to form […]

David “Rev” Ciancio, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Handcraft Burgers and Brew, located at 110 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018 joins Steven M. Elinson, AWS’ Head of Worldwide Restaurants and Food Services, for a broad-ranging discussion about his industry experience, continuous reinvention, and the upcoming launch of his latest restaurant concept. True […]

Noah Glass, founder and CEO of Olo, joins Steven M. Elinson, AWS Head of Worldwide Restaurants and Food Services, to discuss how he started and then took his company public through an initial public offering (IPO). Olo, short for Online Ordering, became a lifeline during the recent disruption of the restaurant industry. Glass founded the […]

Last year was unprecedented for the travel and hospitality industry and for travelers and guests, providers and suppliers, employees and stakeholders alike. As a result of the disruption, companies that relied on moving average forecasting or looked to the same period last year have found themselves at the helm of a rudderless ship. Without accurate […]

Dave O’Flanagan, CEO and coFounder of Boxever, joins Steven Elinson, WW Head, Restaurants, Catering and Food Services for AWS Travel and Hospitality, for a broad-ranging discussion around how AWS Partners are helping customers build resilience and prepare for what’s next in travel and hospitality. During this unprecedented time for the industry, we have been inspired […]

Kevin Tate, Chief Marketing Officer for Rigado, joins Steven Elinson, WW Head, Restaurants and Food Service for AWS Travel and Hospitality, for a broad-ranging discussion around how AWS Partners are helping customers build resilience and prepare for what’s next in travel and hospitality. During this unprecedented time for the industry, we have been inspired by […]

I have looked forward to participating in AWS re:Invent for many years, the annual cloud computing conference hosted by Amazon Web Services in Las Vegas for 60,000 attendees for some time. While the Vegas-based conference will be virtual this year, I find myself even more excited, as it now means that all who wish to […]